Microgrids

6

Pilot Sites: Success Stories and Learnt Lessons

George Kariniotakis, Aris Dimeas and Frank Van Overbeeke (Sections 6.1, 6.2)

6.1 Introduction

The operation of microgrids offers the possibility of coordinating distributed resources in a more or less decentralized way, so that they behave as a single producer or load in energy markets. In this way, the full benefits of distributed resources can be exploited in a consistent, manageable way. A method for a systematic analysis of these benefits including a quantified evaluation is provided in Chapter 7, but a number of real-world microgrids are already in operation worldwide [1,2] as off-grid applications, pilot cases and full-scale demonstrations. Significant experience and various lessons can be already learnt from these real-world operating microgrids of all types, that is, community/utility, commercial, industrial, institutional, campus, military and remote off-grid, including pilot projects and commercial scale demonstrations.

The aim of this chapter is to provide a non-exhaustive overview of real-world microgrids currently in operation across the world, specifically in Europe, the USA, Japan, China and South America. Many of these demonstrations have been presented in a series of dedicated microgrid symposiums held in Berkeley, California, USA (2005), Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada (2006), Nagoya, Japan (2007), Kythnos Island, Greece (2008), San Diego, California, USA (2009), Vancouver, BC, Canada (2010), Jeju Island, Korea ...